Rhino poached yet again: Chitwan forest officials informed Tuesday (Jan 2) that they found a dead rhino two weeks ago at Saktikhor VDC. “The rhino was killed by poachers and its horn and hooves were missing,” said Babu Ram Bhandari, district forest officer. The spot where the poaching took place is nearby the Maoist cantonment at Saktikhor. “It’s about 100 metres from the main camp,” said Bhandari. Similarly, CNP officials have found an injured female rhino with a calf. The rhino has injury to its horn. How it was injured is not yet known. Rhino poaching has become rampant in recent months. Twelve rhinos have already been killed during the last five months alone. In another development, two of the nine poachers released from jail on September 19 under a general amnesty by the cabinet were nabbed by security forces at Chitwan National Park (CPN) a few days ago, along with poaching equipment and guns. The duo, whose names are mysteriously being kept secret by the Park officials, have been detained at CNP head office at Kasara, Chitwan. “It’s true that the duo are under our detention,” said Tikaram Adhikari, Project Manager at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). But Adhikari said he didn’t have the names of the poachers and referred to Laxmi Manandhar, spokesperson at DNPWC. When contacted Manandhar said, “The files have been misplaced. I have to find them first to tell you the names.” The cabinet’s decision to release the notorious poachers on the occasion of “Democracy Day” drew widespread flak from conservationists and the like. This is not the first time that a poacher released un der amnesty has been found poaching again. District Forest Office (DFO) guards had arrested four other poachers a week ago. “Among the arrested is Sukaram Bote, who was also released from jail a few years ago without completing his term,” said a DFO source. http://www.blog.com.np/united-we-blog/2007/01/03/